Always Watching (26 page)

“You made a room for her?”

“I did. I made one for you too. Do you want to see it?” She sounded almost excited. Like a giddy child at Christmas.

Wade started to feel hopeful. If he could find a way to talk her into at least releasing his hands . . .

He nodded as though thinking about her statement.

“Who was the other person?” he asked.

She jerked. “What do you mean?”

“Who was helping you? On the video from the church, there was someone else. A man. And at the radio station, you couldn't have put those bombs on the doors. We know there's someone else involved. Who?”

“Me.”

Joanna shrieked and spun. A crack sounded and Joanna fell to the ground. Wade stared, first at Joanna, then at the man who'd shot her.

And felt his world fall apart all over again.

Olivia wasn't waiting for the cops. By the time they arrived, it might be too late. If Bruce was right.

He'd finally lifted his head and held up the picture from the mantel. “That's it.”

“What's it?”

“It may be a long shot, but I might know where Amy and Wade are.” He looked at Olivia, then nodded at the picture. “The boathouse where the picture was taken.”

She'd check the area and find out for sure before requesting backup, but she'd texted Quinn and told him Bruce's deduction. Quinn promised to stand by in case they needed backup. She, Haley, and Katie would check out the place and be in touch.

Bruce climbed in the passenger seat and slammed the door. She didn't have time to argue that he should stay home. She simply threw the car in drive and headed in the direction he pointed.

Less than two minutes later, she was halfway around the cove of the lake when she pulled to a stop across the street from the house Bruce indicated. “Wait here, okay?” she said.

“You're kidding right?”

“Bruce. I need you to stay here. If Wade and Amy are hostages, you can't get in the way—or the line of fire. Wade's got enough on his mind worrying about keeping Amy safe. Let's not add you to the mix.”

At first she thought he would protest, but he nodded. “Fine.”

Olivia slipped from the car. Haley and Katie pulled behind her. “Let's be subtle about this, okay?”

The women nodded and Olivia led the way down the hill. “Katie and Haley, can you clear the house? I've got the boathouse, it's smaller. I'll holler if I need you.” They each had an earpiece all on the same frequency. They'd be able to hear anything—including a call for help.

Katie and Haley broke off to cover the house. Olivia went on down the hill to a boathouse that looked similar to Wade's.

Once Bruce had told them he thought Wade had placed the picture facedown because he wanted them to go to the boathouse of his childhood, Olivia had simply reacted. Now she had her weapon out and was ready for whatever she found.

She moved to the window and tried to look in, but it was covered. The water lapped against the edges of the dock, but that was the only sound she heard. She moved back to the front of the building and found the door unlocked. She twisted the knob and opened it a fraction.

Through the crack, she could hear voices.

Wade stared at Cameron. The man gave a sigh that sounded almost sad, then he tightened his lips and motioned for Wade to stand up.

Wade stayed still, listening to the water rocking against the dock next to him. There was no boat in the slip to his left. The
one on his right held a small houseboat. “Why?” he finally croaked.

“Stand up and get in the boat.”

“Why?” Wade demanded. “Why would you be a part of this? What's in it for you?”

“Money, Wade. It's truly as simple as that.”

“What money?” Wade slowly pushed himself to his feet. Where was Amy? The nausea had passed and his head had quit spinning. Mostly.

“The money that goes to me when you die.”

Wade felt the blood drain from his face. He wobbled, locked his knees, and forced himself to stay upright. His hands felt numb, tight. But the tape felt like it had loosened maybe a fraction. He kept working at it even as he stared at the man who'd betrayed him and his family. “The charity.”

All charities had plans in place should something happen to the founder. While Cameron handled the financials now, with Wade gone, he would be in a position to walk away with millions. It might not take long for someone to realize something wasn't right—especially when the checks started bouncing—but by then, Cameron Short would be long gone, probably with a new identity.

“Exactly. You're the only thing standing between me, that money, and a tropical beach.” He scowled. “I've worked for you and your father for years and for what? A bonus at Christmas? A thank-you and a slap on the back every so often?”

Wade stared at the man. His family had taken very good care of Cameron. Wade wanted to give in to his weak legs and slide back down the wall. He resisted. “So you . . . what? Used Joanna to lure me to this place?”

“Joanna was a poor, love-starved woman who caught my attention because I thought she would be useful. I danced with her
at one of the charity events not too long ago and we had a nice conversation. She was so desperate to have you that she would have done anything I asked, convinced that I knew what I was talking about, due to our close friendship. And yes, I set her up to take the fall. She was the crazy stalker, and when you ended up dead, she would be the one everyone looked at.” He glanced at her still body. “Only now she's no longer needed. I guess I'll have to make it look like a murder-suicide. Unfortunately.”

“What about Maddy?”

Cameron blinked as though not placing the name.

Wade ground his molars. “The woman whose throat was cut in the radio station parking lot.”

“Oh yes. That was me. I had quite a bit of that lovely drug propofol left over after Gina's death. I simply modified one of my dart guns and a few darts and it made a nice little weapon. Valerie too. Nice little waitress who talked about your show a little too much to her customers. Had to make it look like Joanna would remove anyone who was a threat, anyone who might take an interest in you.”

Wade blinked.

“Or anyone you might take an interest in.”

“Justine,” he whispered.

Cameron sighed. “Justine was becoming a problem. Your father said you were actually thinking of marrying her. I couldn't let that happen.”

“Because everything would revert to her, should anything happen to me after we were married.”

“And she was already getting nosey, pushing herself into the everyday workings of the charity, asking Linda for access to the financial software so she could get a feel for how Breaking Free was doing.” He shook his head. “Couldn't let that happen.”

“Because you've been stealing money from it,” Wade de
duced. He felt sick. Cameron didn't deny it. “And the bombs at the radio station?”

“Yep. That was easy to get too. The internet is a very helpful tool. Now no more talking. Let's get this over with.”

Cameron raised the gun and pointed it at Wade's face.

“Please think about this, Cameron.”

Cameron shoved him with the weapon and Wade lost his balance. Without his hands to help break his fall, he crashed onto the dock and slammed his shoulder against the wood. He rolled and managed to sit up and glare at Cameron. “Was that necessary?”

“Yeah.”

“At least let me see Amy. Hold her while she's scared.”

“You can hold each other for eternity.” Keeping the gun steady on Wade's head with one hand, he pulled the small dart gun from the waistband of his khakis. He even dressed well to commit murder. “Goodbye, Wade, it was good while it lasted.”

Hope shriveled. His attempt to lead help to him and Amy had failed. He'd known it was a long shot when he'd done it, and even if someone had noticed, there was no reassurance that they would understand what he meant by it—or that anyone would even connect it to him. And there was no way Cameron was going to let him or Amy live.

Olivia glanced at her watch. The whole conversation had taken less than five minutes. She shot a text to Quinn, Haley, and Katie confirming that she'd located Wade.

She didn't know where Amy was yet, but apparently she was there somewhere. She saw that Cameron had the dart gun aimed at Wade's center mass. “Need some backup, now,” she whispered to Haley and Katie.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside. Cameron's profile came into view. Wade had his back to her. Slowly, ever so slowly, she centered her weapon on the only spot she could safely hit without the possibility of shooting Wade. Cameron's head.

“No! You leave my dad alone!” Amy's cry came from above Cameron. He looked up as Amy dropped from the vent onto Cameron's head. He howled, dropped the dart gun, and pulled the trigger on the much deadlier weapon. The shot went wild, slamming into the ceiling above Olivia's head.

Wade dove headfirst into the man's stomach. Cameron went down with Amy still attached to his back. Cameron and Amy hit the deck near the edge of the water. Amy gave a pained cry and rolled away. Haley and Katie burst through the door, weapons ready.

“Stop! Let her go!” Olivia bolted over to the chaos and aimed her weapon at Cameron, but Amy was still in the way. She lay on her back and kicked out with both feet, slamming them into whatever flesh she could reach. Then she rolled to her feet and kicked out again, one lucky swipe catching Cameron in the knee.

He howled again and brought the butt of his gun around. It connected with a solid thud across Amy's forehead. She dropped to the deck, eyes shut. Wade gave Cameron a vicious shove with his shoulder and the two men went down, Wade on top of Cameron. Hands still tied together, he wrestled for the gun, but Cameron managed to keep his grip. Wade was at a distinct disadvantage with his hands still duct-taped together. And if Olivia didn't do something fast, he might die.

But Olivia still couldn't chance a shot. In the background she heard Haley and Katie yelling orders, requesting backup, but she couldn't take her attention from the trio in front of her. Amy had fallen near the edge of the dock and lay still.

Cameron's weapon went off again. Wade yelled and went to his knees, hands on his left shoulder, blood streaming through his fingers. Olivia aimed and squeezed. Caught Cameron in the right side. He dropped to his knees, scrambled back to his feet. She got him again in the chest. He jerked, but stayed on his feet. He met her gaze, then gave Amy a vicious kick that rolled her over the side of the dock and into the water.

“Amy!” Wade's terrified shout spurred her. Cameron had dropped to the deck. Haley and Katie rushed to Cameron and Olivia pressed her weapon into Wade's hand. She didn't have time to find a way to release his bonds. Amy only had a few seconds if she didn't regain consciousness when she hit the water and fight her way back to the surface.

Not knowing how deep it was, she slid off the edge of the dock, panic in every pore, but her focus on Amy. She tried to stand and couldn't. So it was pretty deep. She dove, hands out, eyes open, but unable to see anything in the murky water. She moved left in a pattern, then back right, trying to stay just above where she saw Amy fall in.

She kept moving, feeling, praying. Her lungs protested, strained, bright colors flashed behind her lids. She had to breathe or drown. She found the bottom of the lake and pushed off. She broke the surface and sucked in air, saw Haley and Katie had Wade's hands undone and paramedics were working on both men, patching the bullet holes she'd put in Cameron and trying to keep Wade sitting down.

Law enforcement had descended.

She went back down as Wade hit the water beside her, with Katie, then Haley behind him.

She moved a few feet to the left and dove deep, hands out in front of her. Her mind kept going to the day her foster brother had placed his hands on her head and held her under. She
remembered her lungs feeling as though they'd burst. And she remembered she'd prayed.
Please, God,
don't let me die.

Her fingers snagged something silky, felt the strands wind around her hand, her wrist.

Hair.

She closed her fingers around the hunk of hair and pulled. Kept her eyes open. Amy's face came into view, eyes closed, face pale and still. Like death. Lungs reaching the end of their capacity, Olivia slipped her arms around the girl's body and heaved her upward. She kicked and pushed and finally broke the surface, gasping in lungfuls of air even as she aimed herself to the dock.

“Liv!” Haley cried. She pulled herself out of the water and turned to wait for Olivia.

Another hard kick brought Olivia to the edge of the dock, Amy's limp body held next to hers. “I don't think she's breathing.”